Deviant
by GateKeeperSyn
Summary: Sequel to Trouble. EC3 & his "creature" Abigail return in a new story set a few years later. There's still a psychic battle going on, and even though he misses Emily, he has kept up the good fight. The problem is, Emily has been resurrected...evil. With traitors among them, EC3, Abigail, Jeff, Drew, Dixie, Spud, Shane, and the whole gang return. Will they be able to save Emily?
1. Chapter 1

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I never intended for_ Trouble _to have a sequel, but my mind refused to leave things the way they ended in that fic. If you haven't read that one, please do. This fic_ will _contain spoilers for the first one! With that said, enjoy!_

 **ONE:** _ **Prologue**_

 _ **MICHAEL**_

I couldn't believe it had been six years. I _also_ couldn't believe that it still hurt so damn much. I sat on the ground talking because that's what I do. Ask anyone. I'm one of the best talkers currently in the business.

"So, I'm a babyface again. It's funny, they flip me every so often, but the fans love it. I think I've come a long way from having James (Rockstar Spud, a.k.a. my best friend in the world), Dixie (who is my aunt only in storyline but who treats me as her closest family) and George (his _name_ is _Tyrus_ ) cheat for me, don't you?" It had been five or so years since TNA Creative had Matt Hardy be the first guy to ever defeat me one-on-one and take my title as well as my minion. (How _could_ Tyrus?! I was _good_ to him!) I'd proceeded to turn into a babyface, which was weird for me, but to my utter shock, the fans had reacted well. In fact, the second Matt revealed Tyrus was now _his_ trained monkey and the crowd realized that meant he'd had the big, bad (but totally lovable) monster attack his brother Jeff, they'd turned on him quick enough to give us all whiplash.

There are _rules_ in pro wrestling. Commandments, really. WWE likes to break them randomly and that's why their fans have steadily turned on them. For example, _Thou shalt not break the Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak._ That took away a pretty big chunk of their fanbase and they never got them back. They have their own Commandments, such as _Cena shalt always kick out at Two,_ which is followed closely by _Cena shalt not turn heel. Like,_ ever _._ But one major rule _everyone_ knows is _Thou shalt not fuck with Jeff Hardy._ Even if they're not trying to turn someone heel, fucking with Jeff will make fans turn on you faster than pretty much anything else.

Anyway, that night pissed off not only my fans, but my haters, and suddenly, I found myself in the unlikely role of babyface for the first time. We hadn't initially planned for me to _ever_ turn face (my God, that would be like Cena turning _heel_!), but things had gotten... _strange_ at that point. After Team TNA kicked Jeff Jarrett and his Global Force Wrestling goons to the curb, we had some time to relax. Matt's lovely wife Reby gave birth to their adorable monster Maxel and Matt Hardy, being Matt Hardy, brought them both into the storyline. He had them in the ring after matches. He brought them on Ken's _Huh?_ talk show segment. Maxel, who was more famous and photographed as a fetus than most people are in their entire lives, could have solidified Matt's babyface status forever. He was a loving father and husband, and he had his beautiful Playboy bunny wife Reby by his side. They were a beautiful family, the perfect unit. Dixie planned to keep it that way, but then things changed.

I remembered it well. Reby had pitched the heel turn to Dixie and Mr. Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgan. Dixie had hesitated, but Billy embraced it with the excitement of a toddler. Bringing a baby into the ring was _different_ and _exciting_! Matt turning heel on Jeff had been done in WWE, but it had damn near ended Matt's career because they took real-life events like Jeff's house burning down and the death of his dog and had Matt take the blame for them. The Marks who believed it was true had wanted to kill Matt themselves for daring to hurt Jeff, and the fans who knew what kayfabe was had hated Matt for agreeing to use his brother's genuine pain to further his own career. Billy was determined to get the heel turn _right_ this time, so he'd decided Matt needed to turn on _me,_ who so many fans loved to hate anyway.

Surprisingly, it worked. Billy had a lot of bad ideas, but he could make almost anything work. His mind worked in weird ways. Anyway, Reby had controlled the whole storyline. She'd convinced Dixie that since Dixie had lured Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis away ftom Ring of Honor, it would be great to bring Matt's ROH character to TNA. What no one realized at the time was that this was part of a much bigger plot. I'll get to that later.

As I rambled on to the headstone, I realized how much I still missed her. "I wish you still appeared to me, Emily," I admitted. Six years ago to the day, Kurt Angle had murdered my girlfriend Emily. She'd died heroically, giving her life to save Jamie and Lauren from Austin Aries. She'd managed to distract him long enough that Lauren, who no one knew at the time had been turned into a werewolf, could change form and maul him. Aries ultimately recovered because his evil boss, an ancient entity called Chaos, had made him immortal, but it took a while. Emily hadn't been that lucky.

I felt the familiar flood of emotions trying to overwhelm me. I still blamed myself for Emily's death. Things had been bad. James was nearly dead and I had to heal him. Jeff was dying. Abigail, Emily's little seven-year-old creature, needed to be gotten to safety. Unfortunately, someone needed to rescue Jamie and Lauren. Emily had insisted I open a portal and get everyone to safety. I promised I'd go back for her, and I had, but I'd been too late. Part of me died as I held her body in my arms, and that part never recovered, but another part of me knew I needed to help Lauren and Jamie. That's the thing about the battle between good and evil; you can't ever stop fighting it. It just doesn't work like that.

I had another reason to fight as well. The Abigail Creature was now mine to protect. We'd gotten off to a bad start, but after she lost her mother, Abigail had become fiercely loyal to me. In fact, when she realized Matt accidentally hurt me the night he took my title and used George to beat me, she'd kicked him in the shin for it. And trust me, the little creature kicked _hard_.

For a little while, I lost Abigail to her biological father, Shane McMahon. (That, my friends, is a whole other story.) When his evil sister Stephanie kidnapped her, however, Shane realized he couldn't keep her safe. He'd signed custody over to me after I briefly died rescuing her. (I literally owe Drew Galloway my life. He somehow resurrected me almost immediately.) Shane still got to see Abigail, but she lived with me. We were a team. I loved the creature, and she'd become my reason to keep fighting no matter what.

Emily had appeared to me the night I died. She was the one who'd sent help. I saw her a couple of times after that, but around the time we debuted on Pop TV, she stopped coming to me. That hurt, but I assumed she'd moved on like spirits were supposed to do.

"I love you," I whispered before kissing her headstone and standing up. It was always hard to walk away, but somehow I did it.

 _ **ABIGAIL**_

I never went to my mother's grave. She wasn't actually there, so what was the point? Graves and funerals are for the living.

Instead, I sat with Ruby, Maxel, and Nera as Jeff entertained us. Mom was buried on the Hardy compound to keep her body safe from the bad guys. I didn't mind hanging out with Jeff and the kids while Michael mourned in his way. It was nice to be distracted.

With other spirits, I could talk to them and even if I didn't hear them, I knew they heard me, but I had the impression Mom had stopped hearing me years ago, so I'd stopped talking to her. I assumed she must have reincarnated. Part of me wished she'd at least said goodbye, but I was sure she'd had her reasons for just vanishing on me.

My life wasn't so bad, really. Michael was a good guardian. He'd come to understand me better than anyone else did, but he wasn't my mother. I didn't like to admit vulnerability, but sometimes, I _needed_ my mom. She was all I'd had for the first seven years of my life, and then she was just _gone._ Now I was thirteen. I'd never been a normal kid. My psychic abilities made me different from the day I was born. I never acted like a child, but being thirteen, I did have some teenage issues I would have appreciated having her around for... Although I admit, it was amusing watching Michael panic the first time I informed him I was menstruating. Men are so easy to frighten sometimes...

 _Abby..._ A voice whispered in my head. Almost no one was allowed to call me that. I hadn't even allowed _Michael_ to use a nickname for me until after my mother died. James, the Young Bucks, Jamie, and Jeff (but _not_ Matt) were the only other people I let get away with that. Nicknames were for people who were close to you. I had very few people I let in that much.

 _Abby,_ it called again. I realized it belonged to a woman.

 _Mom?_ I asked the voice in my head.

As soon as I did, it faded away. I decided I must have imagined it, which was odd. I'd never been prone to imagining things, but maybe the anniversary of her death was playing with my mind. I shook it off and focused on Jeff as he danced like a goofball and tried to make us laugh. Sometimes when I was with Jeff, I actually felt like a child. That wasn't something that happened often. It was sort of nice.

 _ **EMILY**_

I felt a brief spark of life hit me. _Abby,_ I thought. For a split second, it seemed to mean something. Who was Abby? Why did that name almost make me feel something? _Abby,_ I thought again, testing the waters. It was a weird sensation to actually _feel_ something.

I wasn't sure what this could mean. When I'd woken up, I had no memories of existence before that moment. My master told me it was a side effect of being raised from my grave after so much time had passed. I had been murdered by our enemies, and my master had worked tirelessly until he could get my body from the protected space they'd left me in.

I was told it hadn't been easy. He'd had to turn someone on the inside, a person who lived on the property and could dig up my body and bring it back to him. Finally, he'd found the right person.

"Are you okay, Emily?" Reby asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked at the woman who'd betrayed her family to save me and nodded. "I think so," I said. "But, Reby... Who's Abby?"

Reby's eyes widened. "Why do you ask?" She asked me.

"I keep thinking her name, but I have no idea who she is."

"She's a child, Emily. An extremely dangerous child. Don't trust her... Don't even _think_ about her."

Obediently, I nodded. If anyone was my friend here, it was Reby. I trusted her. "Thank you. I'll put her out of my mind now."

"Good." Reby switched gears, smiling again. "Let's get some lunch. I'm sure you're starving."

"I am. Thank you."

"Anything for you Em. We have a big night ahead of us. Master will want you at your strongest."

I knew what that meant. We'd be working magic, bringing glorious chaos into the world for him. It made him stronger, and that made _us_ stronger. That was my purpose in the world, and I was _very_ good at it. I focused on preparing for that night, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't quite push Abby's name out of my mind...

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! There's a lot more to come! Please read and review._


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO**

 _ **MICHAEL**_

Life goes on. As a professional wrestler working for TNA and on the indy circuit, I am generally a pretty busy guy. Abigail and I spent a lot of time on the road. I'd gotten her a tutor because, quite frankly, I wasn't smart enough to home school her. It's not that I'm an idiot. It's just that Abigail was smarter than I was. Hell, she was smarter than pretty much _everyone,_ but at least Arthur, her tutor, could sort of keep up with her. He wasn't with us now, but she'd catch up on her work when we got home.

We were back on the road two days after the anniversary. I'd booked a gig in New Jersey (yuck) and was staying in New York with friends. Whenever WrestlePro booked me, I generally crashed on Brian Myers' couch. (For all of you WWE Marks, that's the real name of Curt Hawkins.) He was a good friend and he and his lovely wife Elizabeth never had an issue putting me up for a couple of days. They let Abigail crash in their guest room. It sure as hell beat trying to book a hotel.

Abigail sat in the backseat of Brian's jeep while I stayed in the passenger seat as we drove to Jersey. Abigail had been abnormally quiet all day. Suddenly, as soon as we parked, she startled me by saying, "Brian, I need you to touch me."

Okay, I am well aware that that's a pretty troubling thing to hear a thirteen-year-old girl say to a grown (and happily married) man. Let me explain. Brian's not just some random former WWE guy I hang out with. He's a key player in the battle against Chaos, the big bad. The same big bad whose minions murdered the woman I loved. He's done amazing work protecting and educating newly awakened psychics on the indies. Other than Tommy Dreamer, I think Brian's been the biggest help in the last few years since the Young Bucks signed that mostly exclusive deal with Ring of Honor, taking them largely out of the indy circuit. Anyway, Brian has a special gift; when he touches someone, he gives them complete clarity. If Chaos is fucking with your head, Brian can chase him out with one touch. It's an absolutely awesome gift and he's basically at the very top of the hit list for Team Baddie because of it. So when Abigail asked him to touch her, she wasn't granting him permission to violate her or anything... But I wasn't sure why she needed it.

Brian looked as puzzled as I felt. "He can't get into your mind, honey. You know that," he said gently.

"Someone did... Please... Humor me," Abigail replied.

Brian shrugged and reached into the backseat. He touched her arm. Abigail closed her eyes and relaxed. When she opened them, she looked frightened. This was a rare sight. Very little scared the Abigail Creature, and it worried me.

"Abby, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said quickly.

Brian looked unconvinced. "Whatever it is, you can tell me," he promised.

Abigail hesitated, peering into his soul the way the Creature often did, then nodded. "You," she said, "but not Michael. I'm sorry, Michael. I need to talk to Brian alone."

I was mildly offended. What the heck was going on? "Abby-" I began to protest.

"I _need_ to talk to Brian. Go inside. We'll be in soon."

And so, I was bossed around by a thirteen-year-old. This was nothing new. Abigail had been giving me orders since she was seven. I trusted Brian without a shadow of a doubt, so I allowed it and went inside.

I was somewhat distracted when I heard a Southern drawl cry out, "Why, Michael, aren't _you_ a sight for sore eyes!" It was Mickie James. She pulled me into a tight hug.

"I didn't know you were on the card, Mickie," I said as I returned the hug.

"I'm just signing tonight. Nick's got a match, though." Nick Aldis, the wrestler formerly known as Magnus from TNA, was her husband.

"Well, I'm glad to see you. Is Donovan with you?"

"No, I left him home alone to guard the house with our shotgun like a good lil' redneck," Mickie said with a straight face. Then she laughed. "He's running around somewhere."

"Good. Abigail can occupy herself with him. She likes kids. They're easy to boss around."

"Abigail's here?" Mickie's face lit up even more. "I haven't seen her in ages!"

"Yes, my Creature goes wherever I go."

"Where is she?"

"In a top-secret meeting with Mr. Prince of Queens. I wasn't invited."

Mickie laughed. "Poor Michael. Do you feel left out?"

I was saved from answering as Donovan came running toward us like a tiny tornado of terror. He nearly knocked me over as he shouted, _"Trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble! Trouble trouble trouble!"_

"Now _that's_ a greeting!" I said. "Why didn't anyone _else_ sing my entrance music to welcome me in?" I shifted so Donovan didn't strangle me with his hug and said, "Hey, Buddy. I'm happy to see you, too."

After that, I was caught up in getting ready for the show. I tried not to wonder what Brian and Abigail were discussing. I was tempted to read Brian's mind, but Abigail had probably blocked me anyway. Whatever was going on, she didn't want me to know yet.

 _ **ABIGAIL**_

Brian was a very patient man. He sat down with me in his car. It was warded and I knew no one would hear our conversation. Michael was one of the few who could have broken the wards, but I knew he wouldn't do it.

"What's going on, Abigail?" Brian asked me.

"I'm hearing someone I can't be hearing," I admitted. "I was certain someone was trying to trick me, but you touched me and I still heard her... I can almost _see_ her."

"Who?"

"My mother."

Brian paused thoughtfully. To his credit, he didn't immediately dismiss this as being in my head, the pitiful dream of a silly child who missed her mommy. Instead, he asked, "Why is it impossible? Spirits can talk to you."

"I've dealt with spirits. My mother vanished years ago, very suddenly... Brian, the more I hear her and feel her, the more I think..." I shook my head. "It's impossible."

"Abigail, if there's one thing I've learned in this battle, it's that _nothing_ is impossible. Tell me what you think is going on."

"I think she's alive," I blurted out.

Brian looked startled. "She was buried on the Hardy Compound... I was there. No one could have gotten to her."

"I know... But they _did,_ Brian. I thought your touch would chase this away, but it only made the feeling _stronger._ Somehow, my mother is alive again."

"Abigail..." He sighed. "You're a strong psychic. The least I can do is respect you enough to check this out."

I was relieved. "You can't tell Michael... Not until we're sure. He won't handle it if I'm wrong."

Brian hesitated. "Abigail, he should know-"

"He _can't._ Not yet. I will _not_ be responsible for breaking him. You can't tell him. I swear, I'll erase your memory if you try it."

He chuckled in amusement. "Not many people could pull that off, but I know you're strong enough," he said. He was correct. "It won't be necessary. You're right. Why put Michael through more pain if we don't have to?" He handed me his phone. "Put in your cell phone number. I'll talk to some of my old WWE contacts and see if they know anything. If he's smart, which he is, he hid her with them and not with the TNA guys. I'll get in touch as soon as I know something."

I nodded and put in my number. "Thank you, Brian," I said. "It means a lot to me that you're willing to help me."

"I'll always help you, Abigail. That's what the good guys do."

We headed inside after that. I could tell Michael was dying to ask me for details, but I said nothing about my conversation with Brian. I wanted to believe I was on to something, but I couldn't risk the possibility that I was wrong. Michael almost hadn't survived losing my mother. I refused to put him through that a second time.

 _ **EMILY**_

I was exhausted when someone knocked on my bedroom door. I opened it and relaxed when I saw it was John. "Hey, Emily," he said. He had a pretty big bump on his head.

"Are you alright?" I asked him.

"Oh, that? That's nothing. You should see the _other_ guy," he said with a brave smile.

"Who was the other guy?"

"Dean Ambrose. The jerk plays dirty. He wasn't happy I got into a battle with his boy Rollins so he took a fucking kendo stick to my head. I don't even know where it came from. He has some freaky ability to manifest shit like that out of thin air. He's nuts, especially when it comes to Rollins." He was talking about Colby Lopez, known to most as Seth Rollins. I didn't know Dean's real name. No one ever seemed to use it. Both men seemed vaguely familiar to me, and in my mind I often found myself thinking of Dean as "Mox." This seemed odd, but so did a lot of things when you had no memory of most of your life.

"I know Colby is very high on the Master's list, just like Dean. It was a good effort, John. Let me heal you."

"It's not that serious, Emily. At least Rollins didn't break my damn nose this time."

"Still, Nikki will worry if I don't fix this before she sees it." Nikki was John's girlfriend. She was extremely high on the list of Master's people. She was the reason John had joined our side. He'd been one of the others, fiercely loyal to them, until his ex-girlfriend had died. In his grief, he'd leaned on Nikki, and she'd led him to us. For the last several years, he'd been one of Master's most loyal followers. I lived with them, but Reby came to see me frequently.

John allowed me to fix his head. "Thank you," he said with a charming smile. "Can I do anything for _you?"_

"I'd kill for some coffee," I admitted. I meant that literally. If Master demanded I slaughter someone in exchange for some caffeine, I'd do it.

"Starbucks?" John asked cheerfully.

My body ached for a Frappuccino. "Please," I said.

John played with what I assumed was the Starbucks app on his phone. I told him my preference and he left, promising to return soon. Fifteen minutes later, he was back. He handed me a venti mocha frap and I savored the taste as I drank it. I decided Reby might have some competition for the title of my best friend if John continued to spoil me like this. She'd helped resurrect me from the dead, but John was resurrecting me in another way with _caffeine._ I must have been a caffeine addict before I died. It was one of the few hints I had about who I had been before.

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _That's right. Mr. Never-Turn-Heel Cena is one of the bad guys! There are going to be a lot of random appearances from WWE and TNA guys in this fic. (And some indy guys as well.) I hope you're enjoying it so far!_


	3. Chapter 3

**THREE**

 ** _ABIGAIL_**

I had fallen asleep. At first, it was dreamless, but suddenly, I was transported somewhere else.

 _He sat on the boardwalk, watching the water and relaxing. This wasn't a stranger; it was my biological father, Shane McMahon. It was very rare that I saw Shane in my waking life. Although he called to check on me often, it wasn't safe for me to be around him too frequently. I liked him well enough. I'd hated him at first. He'd called me Abby, strike one. He'd taken me away from Michael, strike two. He'd trusted his evil sister, Stephanie, with me and I'd been kidnapped, strike three. That event, however, had made him realize he never should have taken me from Michael to begin with. He'd signed over custody, and I knew it was hard for him to let me go. That made it easier for me to forgive him for his earlier stupidity and give him a second chance._

 _Now, Shane seemed entirely too vulnerable. I had a terrible feeling... And then, it happened._

 _"Hello, Shane," Stephanie McMahon, my bitch of an aunt, greeted him with all the sincerity of an ambulance-chasing lawyer._

 _"Stephanie... What are you doing here?" Shane asked._

 _"You really should have done as I asked when you had the chance. I didn't want it to come to this."_

 _Shane tensed, ready for a fight. He looked at her and said, "Steph, whatever you're about to do,_ don't. _You don't have to."_

 _"Yes I do. You left me no choice." She almost looked sad about this. I wondered for a moment if my aunt had a small amount of her humanity left. She may be evil beyond any doubt, but maybe she still loved her big brother and didn't want to hurt him._

 _Without warning, Stephanie pulled a ritual knife on Shane. He was startled she'd brought a weapon and he hesitated. She slashed his arm and within seconds, Shane blacked out as Stephanie mumbled, "You should have listened to me..."_

I woke up shaking. I quickly ran into Brian's kitchen. He and Michael were talking while Elizabeth made pancakes. I grimaced at the sight of those disgusting things before remembering why I'd rushed to the kitchen in the first place.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Elizabeth said knowingly. "I'm making you an omlette." It's a well-known fact that I despise pancakes, and Michael loves to tease me about it.

"Shane's been kidnapped," I said in response.

Brian choked on his coffee. Elizabeth stared at me in confusion. Michael looked startled. "What?" He asked ever-so eloquently.

"Shane has been kidnapped. By Stephanie, for who knows what purpose."

"Are you sure?" Brian asked me.

"I saw it."

"Hang on. If Shane McMahon's missing, Sellie would know. Let me see what I can find out." He left to call her.

Sellie was the McMahons' top lawyer. She had been the one Shane hired to take me away from Michael, but I wasn't angry with her. She was just doing her job, and she even tried to throw the case. Sellie had _never_ lost a case, but she knew I belonged with Michael. Stephanie paid off the judge, causing Sellie to win anyway, so Sellie sent Michael proof of this. If Shane hadn't given up custody, Michael could have gotten me back anyway. Sellie was like a real-life superhero. When not representing the McMahons, she volunteered her time to fight for abused children in court. I trusted her more than nearly anyone. She had a pure heart. She was also dating Matthew, otherwise known as Zack Ryder, and she was one of Brian's closest friends.

"I'm sure he's fine, Abby," Michael said soothingly.

"Liar," I said. He knew damn well I was right.

"If he's in trouble, we'll get him back. I promise."

I nodded, but I had a feeling it wasn't going to be that simple.

 ** _EMILY_**

I could hear a lot of noise coming from the basement. I headed toward the sound, wondering who or what Nikki and John were torturing down there. A voice made me hesitate.

"You should have done what I asked, Shane," Stephanie was saying. If Stephanie was here, this was important.

" _Never."_ The voice that answered her was hoarse. I heard the familiar sound of a whip connecting with flesh and the man cried out in agony.

"Help me get to the kid and this all _stops,_ Shane," Stephanie said reasonably.

"No."

"You barely know her. Why do you care? Why should you suffer to protect her?"

"She's my _daughter."_

"She's _nothing_ to you, Shane. She's the result of a short affair with a woman you never saw again... A woman who hid her from you. Her mother thought she was too good for you... _You_ are a _McMahon!_ How _dare_ she?"

"She was _protecting_ her. From _you,_ and from our father, and from all of the bullshit that comes with being part of this family."

He was whipped again. This time, the cry was muffled, like he was biting it back. Whoever he was, he was a fighter. There was something about him that I respected.

"We're not alone," Nikki said suddenly.

John peaked his head around the corner and spotted me. "Come on in," he said.

"John, are you _sure?"_ Stephanie asked.

"How else will we know how deep her loyalties are?" John asked. He led me into the room.

The man before me was bloody and bruised. His head had a large gash in it. His shirt was torn and his chest was exposed. His arms were bound above his head and he was attached to a line coming down from the ceiling. This was not an uncommon sight, but something about this man was... _different._ He slowly raised his head and I saw there was still life in his eyes. He was determined to keep fighting, even as fear threatened to consume him. Then, I saw something else... Shock.

" _Emily?"_ He asked. He stared at me, seemingly not comprehending what he was seeing.

"Yes," I said cautiously. "Have we met?" He seemed familiar... _Very_ familiar... But I couldn't place him.

"This is my brother, Shane," Stephanie said because Shane still seemed too stunned to tell me that himself. "He's on the wrong side."

Shane was trying to form words. Finally, he settled on, "How?"

I assumed he was asking how I was there, since I knew everyone on that side believed I was dead. "I was saved," I explained.

"This... It's impossible... You were buried on protected ground. _No one_ could have taken you from the Hardy Compound..." He seemed to realize suddenly what the truth had been as he added, "Except for a Hardy."

"Shut him up," Stephanie said.

"Gladly," Nikki said, ready to whip him again.

"Not you," John said. " _Emily."_

I looked at him, uncertain what all the fuss was about. I'd tortured people for the Master before. Why should Shane be any different?

Nikki grinned wickedly and passed me the whip. I raised it. Shane looked at me with desperation in his eyes and whimpered out, "Emily... _Please_ don't."

For a split second, I felt an ache that reminded me of the hollowness in my chest. When I was resurrected, it was without my heart. The Master insisted it would keep me safer. I didn't question how his rituals worked, especially since every organ in my body worked and my blood did pump. He was a deity. He was capable of the impossible.

I almost wanted to help him. I questioned my actions, which was unlike me. Then, I whipped him. Once, twice, three times, continuing until he was even more bloody than he'd already been. Now he looked broken, too.

"Enough," Stephanie said, taking the whip from me. "Thank you, Emily. You can go now."

I nodded and left, knowing better than to question her orders.

 ** _MICHAEL_**

I hated knowing what I needed to do next. Brian had confirmed with Sellie that Shane had been missing for about twenty-four hours. I had no choice. First, I called Jeff and asked him and Drew to spread the word to our portion of Team Good. Then, I sucked it up and dialed another number.

"Ambrose Asylum. How can I commit you today?" Dean Ambrose answered the phone with the cheerful snarky banter only he possessed. (I know Dean's real name. I don't use it because _no one_ does. Even my Abigail Creature had accepted Dean as his true name.)

"Dean... Hi," I said lamely. "It's Michael... EC3..."

"Yeah, I knew who you meant at Michael, Dumbass. What's wrong?"

"I heard about Shane. I want to help."

"We've got it handled, thanks."

"Look, I know we can't mingle in public much, but you know what I can do. You guys _need_ my help."

"It's too dangerous, Michael."

"He's Abigail's father. I _have_ to help him."

"The kid needs you, and this stinks like a trap."

"Look, can I come see you? We can talk about this in person."

"Fine. Safe house. Five minutes."

We hung up. Dean Ambrose had not always been one of the good guys. In fact, he'd done some pretty evil shit under Vince McMahon's leadership until he found out Vince betrayed him. He'd been the very last member of the Shield to leave the dark side, but he'd had the biggest transition, deciding if he was going to be one of the good guys, he'd work harder than anyone else did. He had created a safe house for the WWE Team Good members. Only those he trusted beyond a doubt were allowed entry, and it was locked down just as tight as the Hardy Compound. I'd been there a couple of times, but I was only able to get in when he chose to allow it.

"I'm following a lead," I told Abigail.

"I'm coming," she said.

"It's in enemy territory, Creature."

"It's Dean Ambrose's safe house and he won't deny a minor entry. I'm not a normal kid, but I _am_ still a minor. You're bringing me."

It was no use arguing with her. I opened up a portal (my favorite party trick) and we stepped through. We reached the safe house quickly.

It wasn't Dean who met us. Instead, he'd sent the telepath patrol to the perimeter to let us in. "Dean didn't mention Abigail was coming," Colby commented. You know Colby as Seth Rollins. If you know him as Tyler Black, you are not a mindless WWE mark and you know the indies, and for that, I salute you! Well done, my friend, well done! Right, back to the story…

"He didn't know," the other half of the telepathic team said. "But Abigail's right. Team Good won't turn a kid away from a safe house." I looked at him, trying not to let my surprise show. I don't know why I doubted he could read my thoughts. He was probably the second strongest telepath I knew... I was the first, and sometimes, I wasn't so sure of that.

"Hello, Randy," I said. That's right, Randy Orton really _does_ hear voices in his head... Like, _all_ the voices, _all_ of the time.

"Michael."

"So, where's Dean?" I asked.

"He's inside. Come on, sweetheart," Colby said. I certainly hoped he was talking to Abigail. He led us to the house, taking Abigail's hand. I was surprised she let him, but not entirely. Abigail knew Colby was once so pure, Chaos had cut out his heart and forcibly turned him evil, killing him before resurrecting him without a soul. That heel turn several years ago? When they broke up the Shield? Yeah, not a storyline. With much effort, Colby had been saved, but his soulless shell of a body had done some unspeakably evil things before they'd found a way to fix him. The Shield boys had barely survived the experience, but now they were as close as ever, brothers until the end, and Colby was one hundred percent one of the good guys.

I know how disturbing all of that sounds. Trust me, the ritual isn't pretty. It had been done to several people over time. Colby was the first. Sanada had been the second, and he'd attacked his mentor, the Great Muta, something he still felt guilty about. He refused to speak of it, and ultimately, he quit TNA after it happened. TJ Perkins (my buddy Manik) had been the next to turn. He liked to pretend it never happened. He acted like he was fine and still happy all the time, but we all knew better. Eric Young's turn had been the worst. Poor EY still didn't function right. He'd never fully recovered. There had been many people who were turned by this ritual, and we'd ultimately reversed it with anyone we could get to, but it destroyed some of them so thoroughly, there was no saving them.

As I reflected upon all of that, I was careful to guard my thoughts. Colby didn't need to be reminded of the dark days. I could feel Randy blocking him for me because Colby was obviously trying to probe my mind. (Dude, that feels awkward…) Colby didn't like it when he couldn't read a person, and he had trouble reading me unless I opened myself up to him, so that inevitably turned him into a toddler with a stick who was on crack.

The situations usually went as follows: _Knock, knock…_

 _No, Colby, go away…_

 _Knock, knock!_

 _No, Colby!_

 _But… Poke… Poke! Poke! Poke! PokepokepokepokePOKE!_

 _Damnit, Colby, knock it off!_

And that was the point when Randy usually smacked him upside the head and told him to stop. Randy and Colby had the unfortunate luck to be eternally stuck inside of each other's heads. Yes, you read that correctly. Randy Orton and Seth Rollins can hear every single thought the other one has. All the time. In fact, they hear it whether they want to or not. It's complicated, but a while back, Colby helped someone he cared about by slipping into her mind and got lost. Randy went in after him to save him, but when he finally managed to get himself and Colby out, they were stuck in each other's minds. They never found a way to undo it, and the unlikely pair had nearly killed each other for a while until they learned to live with it. I think what really sealed their bond was when Colby was turned. Randy experienced it with him, although it didn't turn him. He was the one who helped Colby find his way back after they fixed him. They were as close as brothers now, although Randy definitely kicked his ass frequently because Colby played the annoying little brother role too well at times.

We entered the safe house and I focused. Dean looked up from the television and nodded at us. "Hey, Abigail," he said. He'd learned the hard way not to call her midget or kid or any sort of pet name. By that, I mean she'd used her pyrokinesis to set his sneakers on fire. (Ah, I remember when _I_ was the one Abigail wanted to set on fire all the time.) Now she didn't mind him as much, because he learned quickly to treat her as an equal and not a child.

"Hello Dean. I hope you don't mind me coming along," Abigail said.

"He's your father. I get it."

"So, what do you guys know?" I asked.

"Only that Shane never showed up at the office this morning," Roman Reigns said. Roman's real name was Joe, but the only Joe in his family I could think of by that name was Samoa Joe, my buddy, so I usually called him Roman. Abigail, of course, used his given name instead, as did most people. (Hey, Roman sounds cooler anyway, in my opinion.) I hardly knew the guy, but he was Dean and Colby's best friend, so I wasn't surprised to see him there. His superpower was awesome, and that much I _did_ know. If someone was drugged or even had too much to drink, Roman could sober them up immediately. It was a neat trick, and it was seriously useful in a crisis.

"Stephanie took him," Abigail supplied.

"She betrayed her brother?" Colby asked.

"Why are we surprised by this?" Dean asked. "She's a bitch."

"But Shane's always been her one shred of humanity."

"I guess the bitch finally admitted she's not human, then. Moving on… Why'd she take him?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you might," Abigail admitted.

Randy hesitated. I looked at him. "What?" I asked. "What did you get?"

"I can hear him… Only a little bit, and only if I try really hard, but I caught a snippet of a thought," Randy said slowly.

"Tell us," Abigail said. "I can accept whatever it is. We need to know."

He nodded, knowing treating her like a kid who needed to be protected from upsetting things was foolish. "They're after _you_ , Abigail. And Shane won't give you up to them."

Abigail nodded. "Okay," she said. "I'm going to need to talk to them."

"Um… How about _no?"_ I replied. "Not a chance. Why would you even think that was a good idea?"

"Do _you_ have a better one? They're after me. They won't hurt me because they need me for some reason. I'm perfectly safe, and if I go, they'll release Shane."

"No way, Abby. Not even over my dead body."

"Michael… I have to help him."

"And you will. But not like that."

She looked upset, but said nothing. Sometimes, silence told me more than words did with Abigail, and I was worried.

Colby swooped in before Abigail could decide to run off on us. "Hey, Abigail, I just got a new pendulum and I'm ready to break it in. Do you want to come help me? It's made from tiger's eye and I know that's one of your favorite stones," he said.

Abigail loved pendulums. She used them for divination all the time and collected them. Colby wasn't overly experienced with pendulums, but sometimes it helped to have tools to guide Team Good on their journey so everyone stayed on the right path. Pendulums were great for yes or no questions and things like that.

"Nice distraction," Abigail said. "You know my weakness for pendulums. And yes, I _would_ like to test it out." She followed him upstairs without another word and I was relieved.

"Okay," I said. "Do we have a plan?"

"None whatsoever," Dean said.

"We're working on it," Roman insisted.

"We need to work quicker," Randy said ominously. "Shane may not have much time left… He's confused right now. I don't know what happened, but the shock of whatever it was knocked me out of his head completely."

I was even more worried now. "Then let's hurry up and come up with a strategy," I said. "It's either that, or I go running in blind again, and that never ends well for me."

And so, I sat down with Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Randy Orton in the very safe warmth of the heart of enemy territory and we began tossing around ideas to save one of their bosses from the other one. This wasn't how I'd imagined my day going, but that's the life of a badass telepathic warrior, I guess. All I knew for sure was we needed to find Shane, and fast, or we might lose him. No matter what, I couldn't let Abigail lose another parent.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I'm sorry it's been so long since I last updated this story. I had some other Muses demanding all of my attention, but I think I'm ready to start working on this one again. Thanks for the reviews so far. (And I promise the next chapter is coming very soon. I've already written about half of it, so you won't be waiting indefinitely this time!)_

 **FOUR**

 _ **EMILY**_

I couldn't help but check on Shane. I didn't know why, but I needed to see him. I was careful not to make a sound as I snuck into the basement. He was still chained up, but he'd passed out. Blood covered his face, a crimson mask... Where had that term come from? I suspected it was a wrestling term, but I wasn't sure.

I walked down the hall and grabbed a towel. After running it under cold water, I walked back into the basement and found myself gently trying to clean some of the blood off of his face. After a minute, he flinched and opened his eyes.

"Emily..." He whispered with what I could tell were very strong emotions. His voice was rough, like he'd lost it from screaming.

"You should give them what they want," I said softly, so no one else would hear me. "They will let you go if you cooperate."

"They're after her, Emily... They're after Abigail."

I stared at him in confusion. "So tell them where she is."

"She's our daughter!"

I was even more confused now. "Your daughter with whom?" I asked.

He looked at me sadly. "What did they do to you?" He asked in horror.

"They saved me after the other side killed me."

"Emily... No. That's not what happened. _They_ killed you. Kurt Angle snapped your neck."

"No. You're mistaken." I knew who Kurt was, although I'd never met him. Reby insisted he stay away from me. I'd wondered why... But this couldn't be the reason. Master wouldn't lie to me. He'd saved me. He'd warned me that the other side liked to lie and that they would try to trick me.

"Please... You have to listen to me. Abigail is your daughter, Emily."

"I have no daughter." Something inside of me ached. What if it were true? I'd been hearing Abigail... But how was it possible I could have forgotten my own child? And why would Reby have warned me to stay away from her if she was mine?

"He's a liar," Nikki said from behind me. "Punish him, Emily." She handed me the whip.

Shane looked at me with desperation in his eyes. "I know this isn't you, Emily," he said. "Fight them."

"That'll work on her about as well as it worked on Rollins," Nikki said with a laugh.

"No..." Shane whispered. "He didn't... He couldn't have..."

"He did. She's ours, Shane. You'll never find her heart, or her soul, and you'll never get her back. Emily, do as you're told."

Without any more hesitation, I began to beat him. This time, Shane simply wept, too broken to fight anymore.

 _ **ABIGAIL**_

I woke up sweating and had to struggle not to scream. Not only did they have Shane... But they had my mother.

"No," I said aloud. "That is _not_ my mother. That is a shell." I sighed. I only had one choice here. My parents needed me. My mother was, in the most technical sense, alive. She wasn't herself by any means. I knew what that ritual did. I knew what had happened to her... However, I also knew there was a chance that she could be saved. I'd need to go deep undercover to find her soul and heart, which were going to be stored in Egyptian canopic jars. They could literally be anywhere. It might take a long time, but if I could get them to trust me, I might be able to get my mother to Brian. If he could give her the gift of clarity, Mom would be able to help me escape and save her. If I did this, I could protect Shane.

I quietly packed my bag back up. We were staying at Dean's safe house for a few days so everyone could work together. I knew what I needed to do. _I'm sorry, Michael,_ I thought. I hoped he would forgive me.

As I got downstairs, I was met by Randy. I should have expected he'd know what I was up to. "You can't stop me," I informed him.

"I know," he said. "Abigail, why are you going to them?"

"They'll kill him, Randy... And..." I hesitated. _They have my mother,_ I thought.

His eyes went wide and I realized he'd somehow heard me. My blocks worked on pretty much everyone, so I was surprised.

"Emily?" He asked. "She's alive?"

"She is," I admitted. "I thought I was making it up, but Shane saw her... She's..." I shook my head. I couldn't say it. _She's been turned._

Randy looked appropriately horrified. "Abigail.. We can help," he said.

"No. It has to be me. They'll hurt anyone else, but they need me, Randy."

He sighed. "Alright. Take this." He handed me a talisman unlike any I'd ever seen.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's a protection talisman specifically made to use his own magick against him."

The energy was unique and overwhelmingly powerful. "Randy... Is this what I think it is?"

"It's made from shards of the canopic jar that held Colby's heart. Cody Rhodes was able to transform the pieces into tools for our side. They're very powerful. Be careful with it... But it is drawn to other jars. It can help you find them. Also, it will protect you from nearly anything he or his people will try to do to you."

"Thank you," I said, knowing how precious this was, especially to him. I gave him a hug. "Please tell Michael I'm sorry. I have to do this."

"I know you do... And I will. Good luck, Abigail."

I nodded. With that, Randy let me walk out of the safe house and into certain doom. I was grateful he understood.

 _ **MICHAEL**_

I woke up knowing something was wrong. "Where's the creature?" I demanded as I rushed downstairs.

"I'm sure she's around here somewhere," Roman replied as he cooked breakfast for everyone. Roman's the safe house cook, and he's actually really good at it.

"Michael..." Randy said. "We need to talk."

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Abigail left."

"What do you _mean_ she left?"

"She had to. She said to apologize, but she needed to go after them."

"And you _let_ her?! Jesus Christ, Randy, she's _thirteen!"_

"And she's more mature than all of us put together. Michael, there's more."

"What more could there be?"

"It's Emily, Michael."

I froze. I stared at him in confusion. "What about her?" I demanded.

"She's..." He shook his head. "Michael, he brought her back."

"What the hell are you saying?"

"She's back, Michael. Emily is alive... And they have her."

In that moment, everything inside of me shattered. I couldn't understand what he was saying because it was impossible. "It's a trick," I insisted. "She's on the Hardy Compound. No one can get to her."

Randy gave me a sad, sympathetic look. "No one except for a _Hardy,_ Michael. Shane saw her... And it's bad. She..." He sighed.

"She what?" I asked.

"She was turned," Colby said as he appeared. "But we'll get her back, Michael. I promise you, I'll find a way to save her."

My brain exploded. Turned? Emily couldn't have been turned... That just wasn't possible...

"How?" I finally asked. "Matt and Jeff would _never_ hurt her!"

"Agreed. Neither of them is darkside," Dean said from the steps. He paused thoughtfully. "The kids are too young... But Beth or Reby or even the boys' father could have done it. Maybe it was fucking Senor Benjamin. I don't know."

"Reby." I froze. "Reby turned, after she had Maxel. We thought it was post-partum, but we noticed signs that she'd backslid and turned evil again, and Matt saved her... He brought her back from it... But... But what if he _didn't?"_ As horrifying as it was... It wasn't impossible. Matt loved his family, but Reby could be a manipulative bitch at times. What if she'd fooled him?

"She always had that darkness in her," Dean said. He'd helped train Reby on the indies. I'd forgotten about that.

"She's alive..." I whispered. "My God... Emily's _alive._ I have to save her!"

"Michael, it's not that simple," Randy began.

"I don't care if it's the most complicated, impossible thing on the planet! It's _Emily!_ I have to help her."

"We'll find a way, Michael," Colby said again, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Abigail... She's walking into a trap," I said, trying to focus.

"She's doing what she has to," Randy said. "When the time comes, we'll have her back."

"She needs me!"

"She's okay, Michael. They won't hurt her. Not yet."

"I can't just let her risk her life! I can't lose her, too!"

"The kid's tougher than she looks," Dean said. "She's not going anywhere."

I felt completely helpless. I wanted to portal after my creature, but I knew I'd just put her in even more danger if I did. I was stuck with no good options, so I stood up, walked outside, and proceeded to cry. Not very productive, I know, but what else could I do? Everything in my world had flipped upside-down, and I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to fix it again.

 _ **ABIGAIL**_

I arrived at the entirely over-the-top home of John Cena and Nikki Bella. The wards around the property were strong, but they weren't trying to keep me out, so I walked right up to the front door and rang the bell.

John opened the door and stared at me in confusion. "Can I help you, sweetheart?" He asked.

I took a deep breath. "Hello, John. My name is Abigail. I believe you've been searching for me," I said.

He looked startled. "Abigail? Well... This is a surprise."

I studied him. I knew I'd need to know my enemy to defeat him. John's energy was difficult to read. He radiated the taint of darkness that the worst of the minions had, but there was something deeper... Something hidden in the most private part of his mind, a grief that could only be felt by someone who still felt the ability to love. He had some shred of humanity left, and he desperately clung to it.

"I'm here for my parents," I said bluntly.

"Then by all means, Abigail, come on in," Stephanie said from behind John.

I glared at my aunt, the woman I despised more than anyone else on this planet. "Stephanie."

"Look at you!" She studied me. "You were so small the last time I saw you... A tiny girl with more hair than flesh... You're all grown up!" She smiled at me, but there was nothing genuine about it. "You're so pretty now, honey! Of course, your curls are still out of control... It's nothing but chaos. You know, I've got hair product that would do wonders for you-"

"I thought you _enjoyed_ chaos, Stephanie."

John chuckled before he could stop himself. Stephanie glared at him. "What? The kid has a point." He said.

"Bring me to Shane," I said firmly.

"Fine. You can see your father," Stephanie said. She motioned for me to follow her. John joined us.

We walked down into the basement. I knew what I would see, but I still wasn't prepared. Shane's arms were chained above his head. His body was slumped over and he looked dead. There was blood everywhere.

"Release him," I said, trying not to let my emotions show.

"You don't get to give us orders, Abigail," Stephanie said.

"This is wrong, Steph," John said. "She's still a kid. She shouldn't have to see her father like this."

"She's not like other kids, John," Stephanie replied.

"Let me heal him," I said. "Let me heal him, and let him go, and I'll stay."

"Do you expect me to believe that?"

"You have my mother. You know I won't leave her. Let Shane go and you can have me instead. That's what you wanted, right?"

"I'll tell him what you said and see if he'll accept the offer," Stephanie said. I knew she meant Chaos.

"Wait! May I heal him?"

Stephanie paused. She looked at Shane with the slightest hint of pity and maybe even remorse. "Alright. You can heal him. John, stay with them. Make sure she doesn't try anything."

John nodded. "You've got it," he said.

Stephanie left and I knelt beside Shane. I began cleaning up his wounds, then did my best to heal him. Healing is not my primary gift. Still, after a few minutes, he groaned and opened his eyes.

"Unchain him," I said to John. "Please."

"I shouldn't," John said.

"He's too weak to run, John, and I can't exactly carry him. Please... I just want to ease some of his pain."

John sighed. To my surprise, he unhooked Shane's hands from the device holding them up. He was still chained, but he was no longer attached to anything.

"Abigail..." Shane croaked out as he realized I was there. "No..."

"I'm here," I told him. "I have to be. You're going to be fine, Shane. As soon as they let you go, find Heath Slater. He can heal you the rest of the way."

"You... You shouldn't be here..."

"They have my mother, Shane. I had to come." I paused. "And they had _you._ You're only here because you're trying to protect me. It's _my_ turn to protect _you..._ Dad."

It was rare I called him that. He looked at me sadly. "I love you," he told me.

"I know you do. That's why you let Michael take me." I paused. "I love you, too." I rarely said that to anyone, but he needed to hear it. His sister's betrayal and what they'd made my mother do to him had broken his spirit. He needed a reason to fight.

Stephanie appeared. "He's free to go," she said.

Relief flooded through me. I knew Heath would be able to save Shane's life, and he'd be safe from there. "Go," I told him.

"No. Not without you," he said.

"Shane... _Dad_... I need you to do this. I'll be alright, but only if I know that _you_ are." I kissed his forehead before opening a portal, a parlor trick I'd learned from Michael. I wasn't as good at it as he was, but I knew I could at least get Shane to Heath. I pushed him through before he could protest, then closed it.

I looked at Stephanie and John. "I want to see her," I said.

"Tomorrow," Stephanie replied. "She's recharging. Her energy is weak right now."

I could tell she was being honest, so there wasn't much point to protesting. "Fine," I said coldly.

"John, I asked Nikki to prepare a guest room for Abigail. Let's take her there." She led me out of the basement.

Nikki stood in the doorway of a room on the second floor. "Hi, Abigail," she said too warmly. "I'm Nicole, or Nikki if you prefer. It's nice to finally meet you." She stepped aside and let me into the room.

I had to admit, the room was stunning. It was large, comfortable, and gorgeous. It may have been my new prison cell, but it had a nice view and a lot of pillows. "I hope you like it," Nicole said.

"It's fine, thank you," I said. I could pretend to be polite, too.

"Remember..." Stephanie said. "If you leave, we'll know... And we have your mother. Goodnight!" She closed the door.

I sat down on the bed and tried to think. In the morning, I'd be seeing my mother. I couldn't fully process that, but nothing else mattered.

About a half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. I opened it. John stood on the other side with a blanket. "This room always gets a little chilly at night," he said kindly. I was surprised. Was this part of a plot? What was he up to? A million ideas ran through my mind, none of them good. Was he secretly a pedophile? Was he about to try to seduce me?

"Abigail... I'm not going to hurt you," he said gently.

I stared at him. "Are you a telepath?" I asked.

"No. Your face said it all. You're afraid I'm going to do something to you. I won't."

"You hurt people."

"I do." He paused. "But not kids, Abigail. _Never_ kids. That's the line I won't cross."

A lot of the members of Team Baddie have one thing they won't do. Some refuse to rape. I knew one who refused to hurt animals. A lot of them go in with the guarantee that the one person they love the most will be safe and they'll never have to hurt them. I believed John about hurting kids being his one thing. It made sense.

"Okay," I said, accepting the blanket. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Try to rest, Abigail," he said. "I promise you can see your mom in the morning."

He left after that. I curled up under the blanket, but I didn't sleep. I couldn't. Tomorrow, everything was going to change, and I only had half of a plan. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I was determined to save my mother. I hoped the pieces would fall into place as time moved forward.


	5. Chapter 5

**FIVE**

 _ **ABIGAIL**_

It was after nine when I heard voices coming from downstairs. This room had its own bathroom, so I showered and changed into fresh clothes. I studied my reflection in the mirror and supposed I looked presentable. My hair might offend Stephanie, but it was a fact I had accepted long-ago. My hair is a frizzy mess of curls and stays that way no matter what I do. I think it has to do with how much psychic energy spills out of me at all times. It makes my hair stand at attention, like I'm constantly being electrocuted.

I expected to see my mother standing in the living room, but instead, I saw a creature unlike any I'd ever seen before. Her hair had been dyed to look like a rainbow. Her ears had at least ten holes in each of them. Her nose and eyebrow were pierced, and although I couldn't tell for sure, I was pretty certain her tongue was, too. She wore ripped jeans and a t-shirt that read, _WWXD: What Would Xena Do?_ A guitar case was strapped to her back and she carried a vintage lunch box for something called _Fraggle Rock._ The total effect was somehow beautiful, and I wondered who she was and what the hell she was doing in a place like this.

"I'm done!" A man said from the next room. I vaguely recognized him as Baron Corbin.

"Slow down," John said. "Tell us what happened."

"Look, the kid's mine, okay? Her mom died a few months back and I'm her only family. I didn't even know about her, but fine, I took her in. The thing is, she's too much for me. You guys have a ton of extra room and Nikki wants kids, so-"

"You can't just leave her here. I'm not running a boarding house, Tom."

"I know, but I don't know what to do with her."

"Get to know her? Raise her?"

"She's of no use to me! The boss says I can't kill her. He wants her for something... I mean, when I got her, I thought it could be fun... She's sort of cute, and I like the feel of her energy... But she's not into it."

"Seriously, Tom?" Nicole asked.

"I _tried_ , okay? I did my part, but the kid's a dyke. No matter how many times I touched her, I couldn't turn her straight."

"Maybe you're just that bad at it," Nicole said with a laugh.

"You tried to rape her straight? Jesus Christ, Tom, she's your _daughter!"_ John said with genuine horror.

"Hey! We don't judge each other on _this_ team, Asshole," Tom said.

"Right. No judgement." After a moment, John punched him in the face. "But we _do_ occasionally kick the ever-living shit out of each other, and the boss doesn't mind because it creates chaos."

I found myself smiling. John Cena might be on the wrong side of things, but clearly, he hadn't lost some of his stronger morals. I noticed the punk rock creature-girl crack a slight smile, too. She caught my eye as I remained hidden and I knew she could see me.

"The kid can stay," John said. " _You_ , get the _hell_ out of my house."

Tom left, still rubbing his jaw. John and Nicole turned toward the girl-creature. "What's your name, honey?" Nicole asked.

"Juliet," she replied.

"You're home now, Juliet. You can relax," John said. "We've got plenty of rooms. I'm sure we can find a nice one for you. How old are you?"

"Fourteen," Juliet replied nervously. She looked at them. "Are you two going to try to cure me, too? It won't work. I'm not sick...I'm just a lesbian."

I decided instantly that I liked this girl. "We're just giving you a place to stay," Nicole said. "Chaos doesn't want you dead, so if your father won't keep you, it falls to us. I'll go set up the room across from Abigail's." She walked away.

"Who's Abigail?" Juliet asked.

"I am," I said, revealing myself and making John jump. Mr. "You Can't See Me" had never met someone who could actually turn invisible.

"Jeez! Stephanie didn't mention you were part ninja," he said.

"I can cloak myself," I explained.

"That's useful," Juliet said calmly. "Hi. I'm Juliet. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well," I replied. I shook her hand and a jolt of electricity shot through me. I stared at her, not sure what that had been.

Juliet smiled at me. "So there are other teenagers here. That's a relief."

"I just arrived last night."

"I'm glad you did." She looked around. "It's a nice house, but isn't it a little bit big? What could you possibly need this much space for?"

I laughed. Juliet certainly seemed to speak her mind. "Are you hungry?" John asked, ignoring her question. "Breakfast is almost ready."

"I could eat," she admitted. "It's been a couple of days."

"Then you're in luck. I make a killer omelet."

I was relieved to hear that. I knew there was something I liked about John. We followed him into the kitchen, and that's when I froze.

I hardly recognized her at first. Her eyes were dead and her energy was wrong, but her features were still her own. "Mom?" I cried out before I could stop myself.

My mother looked up at me with dead eyes and my heart broke as I saw no recognition in them. I knew then that my mother, the only parent I'd had for my first seven years of life, had absolutely no memory of who I was.

 _ **EMILY**_

The first thing I saw when I looked up was a mess of frizzy curls sitting atop a little girl's head. I realized she was young, though not the child I'd expected. She seemed so familiar, but I couldn't remember her.

"Mom... Mom, it's _me,"_ she said. "It's Abigail."

"I'm sorry," I said, looking to John for help.

"This is your daughter, Emily. She's come to see you," John said gently.

"I have a daughter..." I whispered. "Shane was telling me the truth."

"You... You don't remember me," Abigail said with pain in her voice. I almost felt something, but I couldn't quite touch it. I wanted to comfort her. I reached forward and touched her hair.

"Abby..." I whispered. I didn't remember her, but I knew her with every inch of my body. She had definitely come from me.

"Mom..." She buried her face in my shoulder as I held her. It felt strange... She was too tall, her body too mature... She should have been smaller... Although her hair was the same...

 _You remember her,_ I told myself. _You just don't know it._

Abigail hid it well, but I could feel her tears on my shirt. She clung to me. "You're real..." She whispered. "You're alive... You didn't just leave without saying goodbye... They _stole_ you."

"They saved me."

Abigail straightened up and composed herself. "I don't suppose I can convince you to just hand over the canopic jars," she said to John.

"I couldn't if I wanted to," John replied. "I'm not privy to their location."

"He doesn't trust you?"

"He doesn't trust _anyone._ Your mom lives with us, but Nicole and I don't know where the jars are. One person has her heart and another has her soul, and not a single one of us knows all of the pieces of the puzzle." John shrugged. "I guess it's not paranoia when all of your people are technically bad guys. There's not much loyalty here."

"He's smart," Abigail agreed. _But I'm smarter,_ she thought as she looked at me. _I'll save you, Mom. I swear it._

I wasn't sure what she intended to do or why she thought I needed saving, but the emotions I felt off of her were strong. She was determined... And I was pretty sure the other feeling was love, but it was hard to identify something I wasn't capable of feeling.

 _ **MICHAEL**_

I woke up feeling empty. I hadn't been this depressed and lost since the day I lost custody of my creature to Shane. That was a bad point to hit. I'd nearly done something very stupid the last time, but James had shown up and stopped me, and then I'd found the key to getting her back, which Sellie had left on my doorstep.

It didn't entirely surprise me when Dean knocked on the door to my room and said, "I believe _this_ is _yours_?" I opened the door and there was my best friend, my hero, the greatest man I've ever met... Rockstar Spud.

"James..." I said, my voice cracking.

"I know, Michael. It's going to be alright," he promised me as he hugged me.

"How much do you know?"

"I felt your grief across the country and hopped on a flight straight away, after I called Drew to find out where the safe house was... Oh, Mate, only one thing hits you like this... You're missing Emily."

"She's _alive_ , James."

He stared at me. "Michael, that's... That's not possible."

"As it turns out, _Reby_ is a four-letter word," Dean said as an explanation.

"Good Lord... She _couldn't_ have!"

"She _did,_ Buddy. At least, we _think_ it was her," I said.

"I still say Senor Benjamin looks kind of shifty," Dean said. "But seriously, it was _totally_ Reby. Speaking of which, maybe it's time someone called Matt and Jeff." He looked at James. "Are you staying for lunch, Pop Star Potato?"

James looked severely offended. "It's _Rockstar Spud,_ actually," he corrected him.

"Same shit," Dean said with a shrug. "Are you hungry, or what? Joe's a great cook. You should take advantage."

"Yes, yes, fine, thank you. I'm not going anywhere while Michael needs me."

"Cool. How about this? You guys give me a list of the people you trust the most and I arrange for them to come and we all figure this shit out. Team Good, WWE _and_ TNA editions working together for once. Maybe we'll finally accomplish something worthwhile."

"What about Team Indie?" I asked.

"Valid. Call Dreamer and the Bucks and they can decide who's trustworthy."

"Where will everyone stay? That's a lot of people." James inquired.

"Don't worry, Freestyle French Fry. This house is magick. It expands as necessary for guests."

"Wait, really?" James asked, ignoring the newest name Dean had chosen for him. "Is that possible, Michael?"

"Young Spud has only been psychic for about five years," I explained. "It's still easy to surprise him with different types of magick."

When Dean walked away, James and I began making a list of people we trusted without question. That had once been an easy list to make, but now that Emily had been stolen from what was supposed to have been the safest place in the world, I found it difficult to trust _anyone._

After much reflection, we had our list. Matt and Jeff were still at the top in spite of what had happened. Drew Galloway immediately followed. I added Mark and Jamie, or Bully Ray and Velvet Sky, then put Lauren, Wes, and Eddie down. Angelina Love, Davey Richards, and Eddie Edwards were werewolves, and werewolves were fiercely loyal. Dixie wasn't even a question, although I knew the WWE guys wouldn't like it. She was my family. I added Ken Anderson, even though he'd left TNA. He was still a close friend and I trusted him without hesitation, and we all still considered him to be part of our TNA family. Gail Kim was the final name on the list. If there was one person whose loyalties I'd never questioned, it was Gail. Also, she was a total badass and we definitely needed her on our side.

"No Bram?" James asked in surprise.

"He's been on the other team before," I reminded him. "I love Thomas. He's great... But I can't risk it."

"Even Matt was on the wrong side once," he gently reminded me.

"Early into the battle, and it was because he was on drugs and Reby was able to control his thoughts. Matt wasn't ever actually evil. Thomas was."

"He changed, Michael."

"I'm not sure right now... I just... I want to keep this list to people who Dean won't question. This is his safe house. I won't taint it."

"That's fair. What about Jess?"

"Havok? I trust her, but she's in charge of Team Not Good Enough.. Which is technically Bram's team."

"That's an _awful_ name."

"They named themselves. They also answer to Team Almost Good and Team Redeem. It's all the former bad guys who Team Good wouldn't accept or who didn't believe they deserved to be on Team Good."

"Why's Jess one of them? She was on Team Baddie for all of ten minutes until she realized what was really going on."

"Someone had to get their asses in gear. Undertaker didn't want the gig." Team Not Good Enough was the only one where every promotion mingled. WWE, TNA, ROH, CZW... Whatever place you called home, if you'd screwed up badly and were trying to fix it, Team Not Good Enough welcomed you with open arms, snarky comments, and a dark sense of humor.

"Well, Jess is dating Ambrose's best mate, so maybe he'll let some of them come."

"I'll call Jess. She can decide who's trustworthy enough."

That conversation proved to be a surprising one. Jess answered quickly. "Team Whiny Emo Bitches, how can I help you?" She asked.

"Having issues, Jess?" I asked with a laugh.

"Yeah. I'm about to kill half of these guys. I need a fucking shrink on the payroll to make them stop moping and self-loathing and bitching that they'll never be able to be good guys. But what else is new?"

"I need a list of your most trustworthy people."

"Sure. Why?"

"Team Baddie has my Creature."

Jess cursed. "I'll slit their throats and gut them!" She informed me.

"That's very sweet of you, Jess… But there's more. Confidential, okay?"

"What is it?"

"They have Emily, Jess. Emily's alive."

Jess paused before saying, "You're shitting me."

"Nope. I wish I was."

"Are you okay?"

"Not at all."

"What do you need, Michael?"

"Names. Who can we trust?"

She hesitated. "Well, there are the obvious ones… Me, of course. Thomas. AJ."

"AJ Styles? Are you _sure_ we can trust him?" I decided I'd been unfair to Thomas. If Jess trusted him, I should, too. AJ, however, surprised me.

"He works really hard. He's determined to prove to the Bucks he's not a piece of shit anymore. He was evil for about a year, but he was their best friend for a lot longer than that. I know he made some bad choices, but he's making the right ones now."

"Okay. Who else?"

"Knux." She meant Mike Knox, for you WWE fans, but in TNA, his name was Knux. Although he'd once been hardcore evil while working for Vince McMahon himself, he'd found the light in TNA through a promotion not run by an asshole… And through Tanea, a.k.a. Rebel. His friendship with her had led him to the light very quickly.

"Good choice." I knew Knux had been an upstanding member of Team Good for a long time, even if the actual good guys didn't want to accept him. Sure, he'd been an underworld demon before McMahon had brought him up to this world, but so what? You can't assume that just because most underworld demons are assholes all of them are. Knux had quickly found that he loved life and humanity and the wonders of this amazing world we live in, and it had changed him for the better. "Anyone else?"

"Ki." She meant Low-Ki, a.k.a. Brandon. He'd been a trusted member of Team Good for a while, but after going undercover, he'd gotten screwed and briefly turned evil. He'd nearly gotten Samoa Joe killed. Still, he was doing much better now, and he was definitely trustworthy. "Homicide, too, but Dean won't like it. He hates his guts. They have beef that goes all the way back to CZW."

"Maybe leave Nelson at home for now," I said. "I'm not trying to piss Dean off." I didn't question how she knew I was at Dean's. Jess was good like that. Of course, Sami might have told her, too. He spent a lot of time coming and going from Dean's safe house. "Is there anybody else?"

"TJ's great, but Dean would never allow him in his safe house, and I understand why." TJ was Tyson Kidd, who'd been responsible for protecting the canopic jar holding Colby's heart after Chaos turned him. No matter how hard he worked, Team Good would never forgive that. Brian Myers had worked very hard to bring TJ back to the light because he was one of his best friends. I trusted TJ fully, but I'd never ask Dean to bring him to the safe house.

"Agreed. TJ can help from the sidelines. Is that it?"

"There's one other person we need." She hesitated. "You're not going to like it, Michael."

"How bad can it be?"

"The most trustworthy guy on this team right now is Alvin."

"Who the heck is Alvin?" I asked, completely lost. Maybe he was an indy guy?

She mumbled a response I decided I must have heard incorrectly. "Come again?" I asked.

"MVP," she said, louder.

I almost hung up on her. "No fucking way, Jess!" I said.

"Michael, he's been working his ass off-" She began.

"No! MVP is part of the reason I lost Emily to begin with! He was their Goddamned ring leader!"

"He changed, Michael. After he left TNA, he realized he was on the wrong side of things. Tommy reached out to him and helped him work toward switching sides."

"I don't care what Dreamer did! MVP is a complete scumbag!"

"You forgave _Kenny_."

"Kenny King was a _follower_. He just followed the wrong guy. Besides, he saved my life."

" _After_ you saved _his_."

"He still did it. He didn't have to. All I did was drop him at a hospital before he bled out. He didn't owe me anything."

"Look, I know Alvin's made a lot of mistakes… But he's not a bad guy. He lost his way for a long time, but he's trying really hard to fix things now. Honestly, he's been my rock lately. He's the one guy I can always count on to have my back."

"I can't bring him here. I promised Dean I'd only call on trustworthy people."

" _I_ trust him, Michael. That should be enough for you… But if it's not, _Sami_ trusts him, and that's enough for Mox."

I sighed. "Fuck." I mumbled. Jess was right. Her opinion was enough for me… But MVP was part of the reason I'd lost the love of my life, and I wasn't sure I wanted him involved in this now.

"Michael…" James said softly.

"Yeah, Buddy?" I asked.

"He was on the other side. He was one of the members of the inner circle. If anyone might know something useful, it's him."

I sighed. Again. He was completely right. "Fine," I said to Jess. "Bring MVP… But tell that bitch if he so much as breathes wrong, he's a dead man."

"Understood," Jess said. "When do you want us there?"

"Tomorrow, if possible."

"See you tomorrow, then." Jess hung up and I tried to prepare myself. How could I deal with this? I'd run into MVP at a few indy shows, but I had avoided him like the plague. Now I was supposed to sit down and strategize with him? That was going to be easier said than done.


End file.
